The meeting was held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Fairmont Palliser Hotel and included 138 guests.
President Bill Hamilton opened the meeting offering a Land Acknowledgement which was followed by the singing of "O Canada" led by Michael Pearson. Maxine Morrison provided the invocation.
President Bill welcomed the many Rotarians and visitors. He invited those attending their first Rotary meeting to sign up and learn more about Rotary membership today.
He thanked the front-of-house volunteers, Stacey Pinney, Dave Leslie, Murray Young, and today’s Greeter, Ian Diaz.
District Governor Manon Mitchell acknowledged the 25th anniversary of the Rotary Employment Partnership highlighting its impact on employment for people with intellectual disabilities. The partnership has provided stability and employment opportunities with Rotary, making close to 1,000 jobs available over 20 years. She commended The Calgary Public Library for employing 13 individuals with intellectual disabilities- a lasting and tangible impact.
The Government of Alberta's long-standing support of Inclusion Alberta, without which the program would not be as effective, was acknowledged; also she emphasized the role of trust, inclusion, and reliability in the partnership's success.
DG Manon promoted attendance at the Rotary Employment Partnership 25th Anniversary Family Conference in Edmonton April 17–18. She also encouraged Rotarians to reach into their personal and business networks to open doors to employment inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities.
Premier Danielle Smith's Address
President Bill introduced Premier Danielle Smith highlighting her background in media, business, and politics.
Premier Smith expressed her appreciation of Rotary noting her past membership and the importance of Rotary's service throughout Alberta.
Premier Smith focused on the good news of Alberta's economic position including high labour productivity, GDP per capita, and job growth. She spoke of the significant reset of Alberta's relationship with Ottawa since the last federal election, especially through the energy agreement which includes the potential for a new pipeline to the West Coast. She described her productive working relationship with Prime Minister Carney.
Premier Smith addressed Alberta's significant population growth, with 600,000 new residents in five years, straining public services.
She explained that in order to meet the needs of this growing population the 2026 budget includes the largest ever investments in education and child care with dedicated operational funding for schools and new school projects. Healthcare investments focus on expanding capacity, training new doctors, and reducing wait times for surgeries. Infrastructure investments include roads, water systems, and LRT upgrades in both Edmonton and Calgary. She also noted the importance of maintaining a high quality of life to attract newcomers with investments in arts, parks, and trails.
Premier Smith spoke of her government’s Alberta Youth Initiative supporting employers in hiring youth with incentives to help around 8,750 youth across the province. She asked business people in the audience to look into it and consider hiring youth by subsidizing the first 400 hours at $10/hour to provide three-month work experience.
Premier Smith indicated that the government invests in nonprofit community organizations to raise awareness of skilled trades opportunities and reduce barriers to apprenticeship education. Also, the Alberta Trades Discovery Centre in Calgary will provide hands-on experience for junior and senior high school students in skilled trades.
Premier Smith discussed the importance of energy security in the global economy with Alberta ready to supply secure, reliable energy products. The state of the province is described as strong with vast resources, a young workforce, and improved cooperation with other governments.
She stated Alberta's energy production is on track to reach 8 million barrels a day by 2035 with plans to build new pipelines to supply Asian, European, and American markets, while the government works to forge and strengthen trade partnerships and expand Alberta's access to global markets.
There followed a Fireside Chat Session with Bruce Graham
In response to Bruce Graham’s questions, the Premier’s answers centred on:
- The purpose of the referendum is to listen to the complaints of those wanting to leave Canada and to give her a mandate on topics including immigration, social programs for non-citizens, citizenship on drivers' licenses, and possible constitutional changes.
- The MOU on energy with Ottawa, highlighting the importance of addressing emissions and expanding production.
- The potential impact of AI data centres on jobs, and the importance of training in AI technology.
- The development of all-season resorts, including Fortress and Kananaskis, and possibly Castle, with the importance of integrating infrastructure to support tourism and government's efforts to attract international visitors and increase tourism.
- The potential for Alberta to host major international events, such as the World Cup of Hockey, as well as the possibility of developing the infrastructure needed to support a possible Calgary bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2038 (50 years after the city’s last hosting).
- The importance of having a master plan for a passenger rail system, hopefully including private partners.
Doug Webb, President-Elect, thanked Premier Smith for her engagement.
President-Elect Doug reminded members to register for the District Conference, May 1 - 3 in Red Deer.
President Bill reminded members of the April 14 Lunch and Learn on brain health and mental wellness at U Calgary Downtown Campus with Dr. Julia Rucklidge, Psychology professor.
The tradition of sharing happy stories enabled three members to share current personal highlights.
Next meeting Tuesday April 21 at the Palliser Hotel with guest speaker, Cheryl Bernard, Olympian President and CEO, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame discussing the importance of sports.
